Telecommunication cables are ubiquitous and used for distributing all manner of data across vast networks. The majority of cables are electrically conductive cables (typically copper), although the use of optical fiber cables is growing rapidly in telecommunication systems as larger and larger amounts of data are transmitted. Additionally, as data transmissions increase, the fiber optic network is being extended closer to the end user which can be a premises, business, or a private residence.
As telecommunication cables are routed across data networks, it is necessary to periodically open the cable so that one or more telecommunication lines therein may be spliced or otherwise connected to other cables or “branches” and to be distributed across the telecommunication network. At each point where a telecommunication cable is opened, it is necessary to provide a telecommunication enclosure to protect the exposed interior of the cable. The cable branches may be further distributed until the network reaches individual homes, businesses, offices, and so on. These networks are often referred to as fiber to the X (FTTX) networks which can include fiber to the premise (FTTP), fiber to the home (FTTH) and fiber to the antenna (FTTA) networks.
Fiber terminals are one type of telecommunication enclosure that is typically located near an end user in a FTTP network to distribute the final service to the end user. Typical fiber terminals are designed to drop services (to provide service connections) to a small number of premises having typically between four to twelve end users. The last service connection from the fiber terminal is made to an optical network terminal (ONT), located at the end user, using a drop cable. Typically, an optical connector attached to the terminal end of an optical fiber of the cable is preferred to allow quick, reliable field installation.
There are two basic methods of introducing an optical fiber into a telecommunication or enclosure. In the first method, the cable passes through an inlet device fitted into a port of the telecommunication enclosure. The optical connection interface is made within the enclosure by either an optical connector or an optical splice. Conventional watertight optical inlet devices are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,487,344 and 8,313,250, which can be inserted into a port so that a telecommunication cable can pass through the wall and into the interior of a telecommunication enclosure.
The second method is to provide a weatherproof optical connection interface in or near a wall of the telecommunication enclosure using a sealed hardened connector that is factory mounted on the terminal end of an optical fiber cable and mating receptacle mounted within a port or in the wall of the telecommunication enclosure, such as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,648,520; 7,090,406; and 6,579,014. Generally, the receptacle in this conventional connector/receptacle system is attached directly to the wall of the enclosure so that the external connection point extends from the port and is exposed to the outdoor environment. In addition, this connector/receptacle system requires environmental sealing between the receptacle and the port of a telecommunication enclosure and between the connector and the receptacle.
A field mountable sealed connector having a connection interface disposed within an interior portion of a telecommunication enclosure is described in Patent Cooperation Treaty Publication No. WO 2013/106183.
Due to the rugged handling of drop cables which utilize these hardened connectors, a need exists for enhanced pull strength without having to rely on a threaded connection between the hardened connector and its mating receptacle. The size of the mating receptacle limits the port density that can be achieved with conventional ruggedized optical fiber connectors. Thus, there is an increased desire for a higher port density in a telecommunication enclosure than can be achieved with conventional ruggedized connectors. In addition, there is a need to provide a ruggedized field mountable fiber optic connector that allows the craftsman to customize the length of the drop cable for a particular network installation while maintaining the environmental protection of the telecommunication enclosure.